YBC Invests Over $1.5 mln In New Line of Bottling & Packaging Change

YEREVAN BRANDY COMPANY INVESTS OVER $1.5 MLN IN NEW LINE OF BOTTLING
AND CHANGE OF PACKING

YEREVAN, MAY 23. ARMINFO. Yerevan Brandy Company (YBC) has invested
over $1.5 mln in new line of bottling and change of packing, President
and Director General of YBC Herve Caroff said at a press conference
Saturday evening.

He said that the production capacity of the new line is 300,000 liters
monthly and exceed the capacity of the current production line 25%.
The packing of the whole range of ArArAt brandies have been
fundamentally changed , including the form and the color of the
bottles and labels, though succession can be observed in the new
line. At present brandy bottles are made in France; they are
translucent in order that the natural color of the product could bee
seen. The president added that the whole range of brandies is divided
into three groups: 3-5 year-old ordinary brandy, premium – 6-10
year-old, and super premium – 15.20 years. The change of the image
pursues a goal of differentiating the production of ArArAt from that
of competitors and strengthening the leading position in the market,
Herve Caroff said.

In his words, the greatest part of the sales volume, some 70%, is the
share of the segment of premium and super premium brandy, which their
sale volumes having increased 14% and 45% respectively. Last year the
total sales volume of YBC was some 4 mln liters, and over 90% of the
production was exported. The company’s president thinks the change of
packing in 2005 will increase the sales volumes of YBC 8-9%. The
activation of the new line coincided with the 30th anniversary of the
YBC owner, the French company Pernod Ricard, Herve Carrof said.
Recently YBC has opened is representation in Kazakhstan. It is the
first representation in Middle Asia, and now the company has its
representatives in all the CIS signatory-states.

To note, YBC was purchased in the May of 1999 by French Pernod Ricard
group for $30 mln. The trademark of YBC is registered in 48 countries,
with its production being sold in 25 countries.